----------------------------- GENET-news -----------------------------
TITLE: Protesters lobby scientists at GM food conference
SOURCE: PA News, by Hugh Dougherty
DATE: February 28, 2000
-------------------- archive: http://www.gene.ch/ --------------------
Protesters lobby scientists at GM food conference
Protesters today demonstrated outside an international gathering of
scientists discussing genetically modified food. A small group of
anti-GM activists and animal rights lobbyists were outnumbered by
police outside the conference in Edinburgh which is set to bring
together experts from across the world for talks on so-called
"Frankenstein" foods. Today's conference sponsored by the OECD comes
after Prime Minister Tony Blair conceded GM food and crops had the
"potential for harm" to human health and the environment. One of the
first groups of protesters to highlight the cause in the glare of the
international media was Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) which
leafleted delegates on what they say is the suffering caused to
animals by genetic engineering.
A giant chimera - a creature with a calf's head, sheep and pig's body
and chicken and goat's legs - highlighted the groups' call for an end
to genetic experiments on farm animals. Ross Minett campaign officer
for CIWF said: "Genetic engineering and doing experiments have
already caused tremendous suffering and death to thousands of farm
animals. "National governments must listen to the concerns of the
public and ban the genetic engineering of farm animals."
And the Scottish Green Party also highlighted their objections to GM
foods being available without rigorous safety testing. Around 400
experts were taking part in the three-day conference with the 400,000
bill being footed by the UK government. Chaired by Sir John Krebs,
professor of Zoology at Oxford University and designate chair of the
New Food Standards agency, its results will be discussed at a summit
of the world's wealthiest nations in Japan in July.
Experts from a variety of disciplines including farming, plant
science, microbiology, ecology and consumer affairs make-up the bulk
of the conference and concern had earlier been expressed by green
groups about the lack of input from anti-GM campaigners. But Sir John
has insisted the conference will not be "a soft soap" meeting of
those who favour genetically modifying foodstuffs. Mr Blair yesterday
intervened in the GM debate and shifted the government's stance away
from its robust defence of GM crops. Writing in the Independent on
Sunday newspaper he said: "There is no doubt that there is potential
for harm both in terms of human safety and in the diversity of our
environment from GM foods and crops. "It's why the protection of the
public and the environment is and will remain the government's over-
riding priority."
The conference is being sponsored by the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development. Cabinet Office minister Mo Mowlam told the
conference that the Government's position on GM foods was unchanged
despite Mr Blair's apparent U-turn yesterday. "Our position has
remained consistent," she said. "What we have always said is that
there are potential harmful effects. "There is always an element of
risk. What is important in this issue is that the public have
knowledge of the risks. "We hope that by labelling and the research
being done that that will be the case."
Sir John, the chairman, said he did not expect consensus in the
talks, which are set to last until Wednesday, but wanted to hear a
diversity of views. "It is the first attempt to draw together people
from around the world in an inclusive debate about genetically
modified food," he said. "As with all new technologies, biotechnology
has aroused suspicion, fear and hostility. "The concerns that have
been expressed range across many issues. For some an over-arching
concern is the issue of `tampering with nature' in what is seen by
them as a fundamentally different way from traditional agricultural
breeding. "For others, the sledgehammer of the traditional breeder is
being replaced with the fine forceps of the genetic engineer."
Sir John said debate on GM foods had become fragmented and needed to
focus on the scientific evidence. He was backed by Dr Mowlam, who
said the OECD had worked hard to get every view included. "There is
about one third for and one third who are anti-GM," she said. "I hope
we have done our best to make sure all views are represented."
The OECD secretary general Donald Johnston said: "Science alone
cannot provide all of the answers we seek. "Decisions have to be made
on the basis of broader considerations and must involve many segments
of society."
Delegates at the conference will themselves be eating GM-free food as
the catering company Leith's has taken steps to make sure all the
menu items are free from soya or maize. Friends of the Earth director
Kevin Dunion said: "The organisers of this conference clearly hoped
that they can issue a statement of reassurance that GM crops and
foods are safe. "But now it appears that even the conference's own
catering firm has no confidence in this new technology. "The public
has made its concerns about GM ingredients very clear and they remain
unconvinced that GM foods offer any of the benefits the agrochemical
companies promise. "If this conference is to be of real use then it
must also examine impacts of GM crops on the environment After all,
that is where any GM foods will have to be grown."
Later the conference heard that GM foods had been a "lightning rod"
for the public's concerns and fears about biotechnology. Professor
Gordon Conway, president of the USA's Rockefeller Foundation, said
the public had legitimate concerns about GM foods. And he claimed
they arose because they had not been informed of the potential
benefits of the crops. "Biotechnology is going through a very
difficult phase," he said. "Much of the public reaction is in many
ways a justifiable concern about these developments."
But he said people were willing to accept GM vaccines and said the
Rockefeller Foundation was working on an HIV vaccine which was almost
guaranteed to be genetically modified. "People seem happy about GM
vaccines. My claim is that GM rice could bring similar levels of
benefit."
And he warned the concentration of GM knowledge in the hands of a
handful of huge multi-nationals made it more difficult for the public
to accept the technology. "Unless there is clear public involvement
in them the progress of biotechnology is at risk," he said. One
Greenpeace delegate claimed GM foods were being portrayed in the same
way as nuclear power 40 years ago. "The problems we have are similar
to 40 years ago when we were told there would be electricity too
cheap to meter," said Benedikt Haerlin, of Greenpeace International.
"Billions have now been spent and even more billions will have to be
spent in order to control the problems which have arisen from the
introduction of nuclear energy. "We are concerned the same problems
are being created with genetic modification. "We might be facing the
problems of how to control the life science problems the life science
companies are creating by releasing the genetically-modified
organisms," she said.
Meanwhile, there was concern today that there might not be enough
farmers willing to take part in the three-year trials of GM crops to
allow the programme to go ahead. With only a few days left to sow
crops for this year it was suggested that industry body Scimac might
not find the 60 sites it needs for the experiment. Dr Brian Johnson,
head of biotechnology at English Nature, told BBC Radio 4's World at
One: "The scientific steering committee on the trials met on February
8 and were told that there was insufficient land coming forward for
the trials to take place. There were less than 10 sites. "We have to
get the crops in the fields in the spring for them to grow for the
next season, so we are up against a very tight deadline now --
realistically we have got until the first week or so in March and
that's it. "It would be set back by a year, turning a three-year
experiment into a four-year experiment. "We don't know if it's going
to be a problem at the end of the day, but it certainly was a problem
earlier this month. Whether the industry have been working very hard
in the background and come up with enough land, we don't know."
A Scimac spokesman told the programme there had been "literally
hundreds" of expressions of interest in the scheme from growers. "We
are confident that we will have sufficient sites to allow a full-
scale programme to go ahead," he said.
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